Koh J Y, Yang L L, Cotman C W
Department of Psychobiology, University of California, Irvine 92717.
Brain Res. 1990 Nov 19;533(2):315-20. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(90)91355-k.
Glutamate neurotoxicity may be an underlying pathological mechanism contributing to neuronal cell loss in a variety of conditions including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we examined whether the beta-amyloid protein found in the neuritic plaques of AD alters the susceptibility of neurons to excitotoxic damage. While mature cortical neurons exposed to beta-amyloid protein for 2-4 days did not appear to be damaged, their vulnerability to low-intensity exposure to glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, and kainate increased, suggesting that this mechanism may contribute to the neurodegeneration seen in AD.
